Belt-stretcher.



PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

P. E. CHASE.

BELT STRBTGHER.

APPLIOATION FILED 1330.9, 1907.

W/TNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY EUGENE CHASE, OF OOEUR D ALENE, IDAHO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES H. WOOD, OF COEUR DALENE, IDAHO.

BELT-STRETGHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed December 9, 1907. Serial No. 405,793.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERoY EUGENE CHAsE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ooeur dAlene, in the county of Kootenai and State of Idaho, have invented a new and Improved. Belt-Stretcher, of which the following is a. full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved ing a belt for re-lacing or other purposes, and which stretcher is simple and durable in construction, arranged for convenient attachment to the belt and for drawing the ends up evenly and securely locking the stretcher in the adjusted position, thus holding the belt in the stretched condition for lacing.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, which will be more fully described hereinaf' ter and then ointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plan view of the improvement as applied; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of part of one of the clamps, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same.

The belt A is clampin ly engaged near its ends by clamps B and L, alike in construction, and connected with each D, secured in the clamps O and slidingly engaging the other clamp B. On this slidable clamp B are secured rods E, on which are fulcrumed levers F, each pivotally connected by links G, G with grippers H, H, engaging the corresponding rod D. The grippers H and H are preferably in the form of disks having which pass the rod D, the walls of the apertures H H being beveled, say in opposite directions, as plainly indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to cause the grippers H and H to alternately engage and bite the rods D, on the operator imparting a swinging motion to the lever F. The links G and G are provided with lugs G2 adjacent to the grippers H and H, to hold the latter at right angles to the links when the latter are moved forward. Now when the several parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, and a swinging motion is given to the levers F on opposite sides of the elongated apertures H H through belt stretcher for stretchother by rods 'K belt A, then the grippers H bite on the rods to move the clamps B and C towards each other, with a view to stretch the belt A, the other gri pers H during this movement sliding loose y on the rods D. When the lever F is given a return swinging movement then the grippers H engage and bite the rods D, while the other grippers H loosely slide over the rods. Now from the foregoing it will be seen that the clamps B and C are drawn towards each other on each forward or return swinging movement given to the levers F, and the clamps B and O are held in the adjusted position by the corresponding grippers H or H.

Each of the clam s B and C is preferably constructed as fol ows: Transversely extending beams I and I are arranged one on top of the other, to receive the belt A between the two, and on the lower beam I and at each end thereof is secured a removable bearing J, on which is fulcrumed a stirrup K, extending over the end of the top beam I, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. On the top of the stirrup K is fulcrumed a cam lever L, bearing on a bearing plate N, held on top of the beam I, so that when the lever L is swung downward, the beams I and I are drawn towards each other, to firmly clamp the belt A between the beams. When it is desired to remove the device from the belt, it is only necessary to swing the levers L upward to allow of swinging the stirrups out of engagement with the beam I, to disconnect the beams I and I, and thereby allow removal of the beams from the belt. The cam levers L are self-locking when in a lowermost position as shown in Fig. 3.

The belt stretcher shown and described is very sim le and durable in construction, can be cheap y manufactured and readily placed in position on the belt or removed therefrom after the belt is stretched and the ends of the belt are laced together.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A belt stretcher comprising clamps for engaging the belt near the ends thereof, two rods connected with one clamp and on which the other clamp is slidingly mounted, hand levers fulcrumed on the said slidable clamp, and gripping devices engaging the said rods and connected with the said hand levers.

2. A belt stretcher comprising clamps for clampingly engaging the belt near the ends thereof, two rods held on one clamp and slidingly engaging the other clamp, a pair of grippers engaging each rod, and a hand lever fulcrumed on the slidable clamp and -con nected with each pair of the saidv grippers.

3. A belt stretcher comprising clamps for clampingly engaging the belt near the ends thereof, rods on opposite edges of the belt and connected with one of the clamps, the other clamp being slidably mounted on the said rods, a pair of gri pers for each rod and arranged to alternate y gri the same, and a manually-controlled hanc lever for actuating the said grippers fulcrumed on the said slidable clamp.

4. A belt stretcher comprising clamps for clampingly engaging the belt near the ends thereof, rods on opposite edges of the belt and connected with one of the clamps, the other clamp being slidably mounted on the said rods, a pair of grippers for each rod and each having an elongated aperture provided with beveled walls for engaging and gripping the rod, links pivotally connected with the said grippers, and a hand lever fulcrumed on the said slidable clamp and pivotally connected with the said links.

5. A belt stretcher provided with a clamp for engagement with the belt, the clamp comprising cross beams between which the belt is passed, stirrups fulcrumed at each end of one beam and adapted to swing over the end of the other beam, and a cam lever fulcrumed on each stirrup for pressing the beams toward each other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PERCY EUGENE CHASE.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. HARTE, ALBERT V. CHAMBERLIN. 

